Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday called on Canada to “halt Israel’s aggressions” against Palestinians, reported Palestinian media.
Speaking during a meeting in Ramallah with Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau, Abbas also expressed his appreciation for Canada’s “positions in support of the self-determination of the Palestinian people.”
Garneau, who was in Ramallah as part of a five-day Middle East trip that took him to Jordan, Israel and the West Bank, said Canada’s long-held position is that continued settlement expansion, house demolitions and evictions are a serious obstacle to peace and that those activities must cease, according to a statement put out by the Canadian Foreign Ministry.
During his Israel visit, Garneau also met with P.A. Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki. During these meetings, Garneau expressed Canada’s firm support for the Palestinian people, its right to self-determination and peace in the Middle East, according to the Canadian Foreign Ministry.
Meeting with Palestinian community leaders, Garneau spoke of the importance of human rights and freedom of expression. He called for accountability and transparency regarding the death of Nizar Banat, an anti-Abbas activist who was killed by members of Abbas’s security forces on June 24. His death has led to several days of Palestinian protests against the P.A.